rec.autos.simulators

> The strange part about it is that it seems to come out of the blue.  One
> day the tracks seem normal and the next they look as described above.
> So far, the only solution has been to re-install the video drivers.

> Could this problem stem from a power supply that's too weak?  My present
> PSU is 300 Watts, but I'll be upgrading to a 450W PSU by the end of the
> week.

> Any other possibilities?  I'm using the latest Cat3.1 drivers (but this
> happened with previous drivers, as well) on an overclocked Athlon
> XP2100, Radeon 9700 Pro (also slightly overclocked), 512 megs of PC2100
> RAM and Win98SE.

> Anybody else experiencing this?  I haven't noticed a problem in either
> NR2003 or GTR2002 -- just in GPL.  Any thoughts would be appreciated.
> Bert

> A little more info to add....  The previous post was based on using D3D at
> 1024x768, Detail Slider on Full (2X AA; 4X AF).  I'm running the Win98SE
> desktop at 1024x768, 32 bit.

> Playing around with the settings, I see that if I go back to the track
> selection screen, then use 640x480, everything is back to normal.  But as
> soon as I switch the resolution back to 800x600 or 1024x768 (even with the
> Detail Slider on Minimum), the problem appears again.

> The videocard exhibits no problems (knock wood) with any other sim, so I'm
> really thinking that it might be a (lack of) power problem.  Any thoughts?

> >I've experienced this same problem in GPL with both a Radeon 8500LE and
> >now a Radeon 9700 Pro.  It's a bit hard to describe, but portions of the
> >track background - treetops in particular - are removed.  For example,

> On my R8500LE the problem is that some of the track side textures are
> transparent... I'm using D3D in GPL and Cat 3.1 drivers for WinXP.
> --
> - JKo -

> 9700 Pro, latest 3.1 drivers

> Marc

> > wrote something like this:

> > >I've experienced this same problem in GPL with both a Radeon 8500LE and
> > >now a Radeon 9700 Pro.  It's a bit hard to describe, but portions of
the
> > >track background - treetops in particular - are removed.  For example,

> > On my R8500LE the problem is that some of the track side textures are
> > transparent... I'm using D3D in GPL and Cat 3.1 drivers for WinXP.
> > --
> > - JKo -

> > Can you do me a favour, *only if your monitor can handle it* run at
> > 1200x1600 with FSAA off, and let me know if the problem goes away.

> Gerry, Unfortunately my monitor will only go to 1280x1024, so I couldn't
run
> your test.  BUT, I THINK that I MAY have stumbled onto a work-around.
[This
> works at all resolutions on my system].

> Go into the ATI Display Properties/Advanced Properties to the D3D tab.
Slide
> the 'Texture Preference' Slider all the way to the left (to High
Performance).
> No matter what your other settings are, this one is the key.  The problem
went
> away for me, even though I was still running at 1024x768, with 2XAA and
4XAF, as
> long as this slider was all the way to the left.  With this slider at any
other
> setting, the problem came right back (except at 640x480, No AA, No AF).  I
have
> only tested this at Monza, but that's where the problem was most obvious
on my
> system.  It was also evident at the Ring, but I have not tested this
solution
> there yet.

> I hope this helps everyone.....  Please try this and report back here....

> Bert

> Marc

> > > Can you do me a favour, *only if your monitor can handle it* run at
> > > 1200x1600 with FSAA off, and let me know if the problem goes away.

> > Gerry, Unfortunately my monitor will only go to 1280x1024, so I couldn't
> run
> > your test.  BUT, I THINK that I MAY have stumbled onto a work-around.
> [This
> > works at all resolutions on my system].

> > Go into the ATI Display Properties/Advanced Properties to the D3D tab.
> Slide
> > the 'Texture Preference' Slider all the way to the left (to High
> Performance).
> > No matter what your other settings are, this one is the key.  The
problem
> went
> > away for me, even though I was still running at 1024x768, with 2XAA and
> 4XAF, as
> > long as this slider was all the way to the left.  With this slider at
any
> other
> > setting, the problem came right back (except at 640x480, No AA, No AF).
I
> have
> > only tested this at Monza, but that's where the problem was most obvious
> on my
> > system.  It was also evident at the Ring, but I have not tested this
> solution
> > there yet.

> > I hope this helps everyone.....  Please try this and report back
here....

> > Bert

> Now to see if it ruins anything else!

> Marc

> > Interesting.  I got 5 times sharper textures in NR2003 by moving the
> slider
> > just one notch to the left from Full Quality.  Opposite of what you
would
> > expect.  I'll try all the way to Performance since I am having the
bizarre
> > Monza problems, too.

> > Marc

> > > > Can you do me a favour, *only if your monitor can handle it* run at
> > > > 1200x1600 with FSAA off, and let me know if the problem goes away.

> > > Gerry, Unfortunately my monitor will only go to 1280x1024, so I
couldn't
> > run
> > > your test.  BUT, I THINK that I MAY have stumbled onto a work-around.
> > [This
> > > works at all resolutions on my system].

> > > Go into the ATI Display Properties/Advanced Properties to the D3D tab.
> > Slide
> > > the 'Texture Preference' Slider all the way to the left (to High
> > Performance).
> > > No matter what your other settings are, this one is the key.  The
> problem
> > went
> > > away for me, even though I was still running at 1024x768, with 2XAA
and
> > 4XAF, as
> > > long as this slider was all the way to the left.  With this slider at
> any
> > other
> > > setting, the problem came right back (except at 640x480, No AA, No
AF).
> I
> > have
> > > only tested this at Monza, but that's where the problem was most
obvious
> > on my
> > > system.  It was also evident at the Ring, but I have not tested this
> > solution
> > > there yet.

> > > I hope this helps everyone.....  Please try this and report back
> here....

> > > Bert

> Nothing that I can adjust has any effect on the transparency.

> And by the way, the frame rates in GPL with this card suck.  My GeForce2 GTS
> Ultra from 2 years ago was better in either D3D or OpenGL.

> > Nothing that I can adjust has any effect on the transparency.

> > And by the way, the frame rates in GPL with this card suck.  My GeForce2
GTS
> > Ultra from 2 years ago was better in either D3D or OpenGL.

> That would be your system then, as there are many reports of great
> performance with this card in GPL.

> Gerry

> Really--where?  The OpenGL support is so appalling as to not be worth
> discussing and D3D frame rates are well below other titles.  The hardware is
> nice, but support for GPL is poor.  Support for OpenGL is poor.  And lots of
> minor problems with other titles, too.  The fact that the card flies in some
> titles doesn't mean it works well in GPL.

> I can run 100% full everything with my GeForce4 and still have acceptable
> (32+) frame rates at the back of a full field online start.  Show me a
> Radeon anything that can do that--they haven't invented a CPU fast enough to
> overcome whatever bottleneck is occurring in the GPL D3D rasterizer.

> > Really--where?  The OpenGL support is so appalling as to not be worth
> > discussing and D3D frame rates are well below other titles.  The
hardware is
> > nice, but support for GPL is poor.  Support for OpenGL is poor.  And
lots of
> > minor problems with other titles, too.  The fact that the card flies in
some
> > titles doesn't mean it works well in GPL.

> > I can run 100% full everything with my GeForce4 and still have
acceptable
> > (32+) frame rates at the back of a full field online start.  Show me a
> > Radeon anything that can do that--they haven't invented a CPU fast
enough to
> > overcome whatever bottleneck is occurring in the GPL D3D rasterizer.

> What CPU are you running?

> I have a lowly P4 2.0, but I am basing my opinion on discussion over at
> RaceSim Central Forums and here at r.a.s., not just my own box.